Child at Heart
by AberrantScript
Summary: Two oneshots depicting intimate family moments inside Lisa Loud's lab. Filled with music, sibling love, and shy bonding. Rated T for lyrics.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:**

Dedicated to a Lisa-loving friend of mine. You know who you are~

 _Enjoy~_

Disclaimer: _The Loud House_ Copyright Nickelodeon (2018); _Heartbreaker_ by Pat Benatar (1979); _A Spoonful of Sugar_ by Julie Andrews (1964); _The Real Slim Shady_ by Eminem (2000)

* * *

CHILD AT HEART

 _Melodic Chaos_

The rhythmic beat of a drum filled the room.

The bars of a guitar took up residence in the symphony.

A baby in its crib sat on its bottom, sucking on a thumb with wide eyes as she watched a young girl in a too-long green sweater roll up the sleeves to her elbows and crack her knuckles.

The girl adjusted her glasses, her messy hair getting a little more ruffled from the movement.

As the song moved to the first verse, young Lisa Loud opened her lips and sang.

" _Your love is like a tidal wave, spinnin' over my head._ "

Her shoulders bounced, one then the other, in time to the music as she kicked her desk in just the right spot, causing a drawer to open up for her.

" _Drownin' me in your promises, better left unsaid._ "

She reached in, her sweater catching on a rough spot on the edge of the drawer; but it didn't stop her rhythm.

" _You're the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy._ "

She dumped her stash onto the desk, having to reach up on her tippy toes to do so. She wiggled her hips as a beaker started rolling toward the edge, about to fall off. In the knick of time, she leaned way over on one foot and grabbed it.

" _The invincible winner, and you know that you were born to be._ "

She shimmied onto her stool and spun herself around. Her smile grew wide as she looked at all the dangerous, risky, life-changing possibilities laying out before her. Like a world of chaos and destruction; just waiting for someone to find order inside the mayhem. Someone like _her._

" _You're a heartbreaker._ "

She uncorked a vial and poured it into a beaker.

" _Dream maker._ "

She opened a second; and in it went.

" _Love taker._ "

She grabbed a third, getting carried away with the thrill of discovery...

" _Don't you mess around with me!_ "

In went the third, and the concoction started glowing a neon green.

Was it supposed to do that?

She didn't know. That's why she was doing it. It's why she was smiling so big.

She was gonna find out~

" _You're a heartbreaker._ "

She grabbed a fourth and uncapped it. The label on the front had a skull and cross bones. Clearly identified with a hazardous warning.

She went _pffft_ and dumped it in.

The mixture started hissing, but she didn't hear it over her singing.

" _Dream maker._ "

The grabbed a fifth one, not really paying attention to the way the glass tube was foaming at the mouth. Which, to be perfectly honest, she was used to it by that point. "No big," as local vernacular would say.

" _Love taker._ "

She started pouring in the fifth vial-

" _Don't you mess around-_ "

And as the first drop fell inside, she finally heard the low hissing that quickly increased in pitch and volume.

Putting her arms up to brace her head from impact, she started yelling, " _No no no!_ "

 _BOOM!_

She flew backward, landing on the ground and spinning in circles... like she'd fallen on ice in a skating rink.

She bumped into Lily's crib, coming face to face with her sister.

Lily was still sucking on her thumb, her face looked the same as it always did; though Lisa did detect a hint of concern in the baby's eyes.

The young scientist rolled down her sleeves and wiped off the dark ashes from her glasses.

She could feel the smudges on her cheeks, and she figured her clothes must look like a wreck.

"Don't worry, little sister unit. I'm ok. I'm unharmed."

She turned to look at her... uh... what was left of her desk. And even though she still looked as monotone as ever, her eyes had a trace of loss in them.

"Though the same can't be said about my lab."

She stood up, feeling her joints pop and crack with the motion.

"Daaa-" she saw Lily tilt her head and she quickly changed her word choice, "-aaang it. That never feels any better. Though you can't learn anything without taking risks, right?"

Lily blinked her eyes; now she was sucking on a toe.

Lisa cracked a small grin.

Lily was a good listener; her tiny brain like a sponge that could soak up the seemingly-endless amount of scientific babbling that the four year old had racing inside her brain.

The brunette turned around and looked all around her room.

Hmm.

Not on the floor.

Not in the closet.

Not shot through the wall like a projectile.

She held her chin and really thought about the possibilities.

Suddenly, her stool fell from the ceiling, landing right in front of her face... barely inches away from crushing her.

Her facial expression not even changing at all, she tapped her chin.

"Well, that was highly irregular."

She looked up, and gasped.

Her concoction had exploded onto the ceiling, in lots of gooey puddles that were slowly starting to droop toward the floor. Clearly showing some elastic and adhesive properties; her mind started churning with countless idea; her body started squirming in delight!

Then, she heard Lily make a noise.

At first she didn't turn. Her discovery was more interesting than a whiny-

Lily made another noise. And then, another.

Lisa sighed, and turned around.

"What's wrong, little sister? Are you hungry?"

She took her stool to the crib and climbed up so she could reach inside.

She couldn't exactly pick the girl up and take her out. Sadly, the only muscle in her body that could impress an Olympian athlete was her brain.

But, she could touch the girl. And having that physical connection never failed to make her feel a bit of warmth in an otherwise sterile and chilly environment.

Lily looked at her sister and whined again.

Lisa grinned as she climbed back down and went to the closet.

She liked to keep Lily's stuff inside the closed, reinforced doors.

The four year old reached inside for the stuff she'd need to make Lily a bottle of formula.

As she measured out a cup of powder, she was humming the tune to a new song. Her foot was tapping the ground.

She started mixing up the bottle as she turned around, facing her sister with a grin.

" _Just-_ " A step. " _-a-_ " A twisty spin. " _-spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!_ "

She shook her hips as she walked toward her sister in a whimsical, silly gait. A smile crossed her cheeks as the baby started to laugh at her antics.

" _The medicine go doooowwwwnn~_ "

She climbed the stool again.

" _The medicine go down!_ "

Lily reached her hands up for the bottle, still laughing, still smiling at the girl she spent a majority of her time with.

Lisa held the bottle out, her grin just as infectious as her sister's.

" _Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!_ "

Lily started drinking it in a hurry.

" _In the most delight-_ " Lisa poked her sister's nose with her finger, " _-ful way._ "

Lisa sat back on her stool, closing her eyes and listening to the rhythm of her sister's feeding.

A steady peace and calm overtook her.

Sure, her excitement was still lingering and bubbling under the surface, waiting to be released.

But there would always be time to play around with her studies later.

Especially once she invents a time machine~

She got off her stool and went to her stereo. It was laying on its side, covered in darkened ash.

She wiped it down and set it upright.

Hmm.

She went to her shelf and picked out another CD.

Then, she plugged it in to a secret port that tied into an even bigger set of stereos she'd installed without anyone but Lily knowing.

Her sister was going to be done eating soon. And, then, she'd need to be burped. Then, it would be time for a good nap.

Actually, the nap sounded pretty good to her, too.

She started up the song, turning it up to max volume.

It was at a time like this that she was glad she had put in some grant money to sound proof her room.

Lisa went back over to the crib as Eminem's voice echoed through the room like the roar of an experimental jet engine.

She picked up the bottle and set it aside.

Then, she crawled inside with her own blanket.

Laying it over her shoulder, she hugged Lily to her and started patting her back.

" _-And expect them not to know what a woman's clitoris is-_ "

Lisa helped her sister relieve the pressure in her body, before laying her down.

Her own eyelids started drooping as well.

She took her blanket and laid it over the both of them.

"Sleep well, Lily."

The toddler mumbled something that _sorta_ resembled her name, and that was enough to bring Lisa a smile to her face.

Months ago, Lisa had begun experimenting on the best way to help Lily fall asleep.

And she kinda doubted that anyone would believe her if she said that girl's favorite song was-

" _I'm Slim Shady, yes I'm the real Shady! All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating!_ "

They dozed off together, dreaming about nonsensical things full of numbers and colors and subconscious images that neither would remember when they awoke.

* * *

 _Lunch Break_

Knock, knock.

Lisa sighed, unintentionally sounding very much like her older sister unit.

She turned around with a bored scowl.

"I'm very busy. What do you want?"

Lincoln opened the door a smidge and peeked inside. His hand lifted up a plate with a crustless pb&j on it.

He glared at him, trying to make the pest leave her sterile lab. But her stomach grumbled, betraying her.

The boy smiled as he stepped inside.

"Come on. I know this is important to you, but you've gotta eat!"

Lisa turned away from him and went back to writing down notes as she watched a visual screen of a landrover travelling over some distant moon.

"I can't pause, Lincoln. This task is too important to pause even for a fifteen minute lunch break."

Lincoln stood beside her and put his hand on her head, ruffling her loose locks.

"That's ok. I can just feed you then."

Lisa gasped, "I'm not a child!"

Lincoln smiled reassuringly.

"Well, technically you are four years old-" Lisa growled at him. "-but as you said, your work is too busy and you still have to eat."

The boy lifted up half the sandwich, cut into triangles, and held it to her lips.

"What else are brothers for?"

Pink dusted on her cheeks, but she opened her mouth and accepted a bite. Lisa chewed it up and swallowed. Her eyes focusing on the screen, her hands working hard at her notes; and Lincoln's careful attention to her needs worked in time with herself like a finely tuned machine.

Soon, she went to take another bite, and accidentally bit down on his finger.

He pulled it back with a yelp, whilst Lisa blushed.

"Sorry, I, uh, didn't realize it was finished."

Lincoln smiled, though still cradling his finger in his hand.

"It's ok. I'm just glad you ate something."

He stroked her hair again, bending down to kiss her cheek (and catching part of her glasses too).

"I love you, Lise."

He turned and took the plate with him as he left for the door, but Lisa called for him to wait.

"Would you mind... bringing up another sandwich?"

He grinned and nodded.

"I'd love to, sis!"

As he left, leaving her doorway partly open, Lisa's blush was still coating her cheeks.

Not used to showing affection; let alone experiencing something intimate like that with her family...

But she liked it.

She whispered to herself, too bashful to say it to her brother's face after he caught her off guard...

"I love you, too, Lincoln."

Linc grinned as he headed down the stairs.

His little sister wasn't near as quiet as she thought she was.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: _The Loud House_ Copyright Nickelodeon (2019)

* * *

 _Truthful Lies_

Lisa was doing it again.

Sneaking into her brother's room.

In the dead of night.

Lying to his sleepy eyes.

Telling him it was another nightmare.

Another bad dream.

And he, like the selfless dear brother she knew he was, rolled over and lifted the blankets.

And she, like the greedy urchin she berated herself for becoming, snuggled up to his side.

And there in the cloak of darkness, where only her brother's hidden warmth could bear witness, Lisa wrapped her arms, and then her legs, around him; laying her head on his chest, she closed her eyes and listening to the sound of his heart thrum with kindness and love.

Such a weird feeling.

Why her brain decided to release a swarm of endorphins now was beyond her comprehension.

Why she felt this insane urge to curl up and let her body surge with dopamine and serotonin and whatever else was a thing too ludicrous to entertain a single thought.

But here she was.

And her heart was suffering from palpitations and accelerated rhythms.

By all rights she was probably dying from a heart attack, but somewhere deep down her subconscious knew the truth.

And try as she might, with all her trust in Sigmund and her faith in her own Ego to overcome these immoral desires…

She couldn't stop from lying.

Lying to Lincoln.

Lying to herself.

One day, she'll deal with this.

One day, she'll uncover the truth and deal with the consequences of her own hypotheses.

But until then, she'd come here.

And in her brother's unfailing arms, cherish the precious moments of ignorance; as blissful as they eternally are.


End file.
